Bascule bridge



l.. o. HOPKINS BASCULE BRIDGE Dec. 29, 1936.

Filed Dec. 24, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 29, 1936. 1 yQ HOPKlNS 2,066,110

BAS CULE BRIDGE Filed Dec. 24. 1954 '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 29, 1936 UNITED PATE OIF'I 6l Claims.

This invention relates to'bridge` constructionandimore particularly tomovable bridges-of the bascule type.

Zin-the erection of bridges of .the'aforementioned -type it has beenv necessary to. exercise extreme care in positioning the machinery supportsand. main trunnions so that there willfbev no.misalign, ment and so-that the connecting mechanismbetween the machinery andl the main trunnionswill properly engage.

It is an object of. the inventionto. providel a construction wherein small inaccuracies in the positioning and. erection of the parts. may be compensated for and yet1 thev means forming a connectionbetween themain.- trunnions.. and. machinery may be properly maintainedA in engage.- ment.

Figure l is a side elevation of a bridgei embody ing my invention;

Figure 2, a: View in elevationpartly in section.vv

` of the operating machinery and a-portion of the bridge partly in crossY section; Y

Figure 3, a plany view of. the;- link connecting the main trunnion to themachinerysupport;

Figure 4i a transverse viewinfelevation of' the bridge on line 4--IIP of Figure lffand.

Figure', a diagrammatic view-of: the; machin-- ery support triangle.

In` the drawings referencefcharacterV I0@` indi- .catesi a supportingbase of ani/suitable material' andfform having the pedestals H mounted on` eachside-iny any suitable manner. Numeral I2. indicates the main trunnions ofthebridge which arel in alignment androtatably mounted in the pedestals I'I andl extend: througlrran'd-v arerxed tothe' girders I3? which formI the: outside; facesofthe bridge leaf f member.

'I'herear portions of thegirders I3 areprovided with' a suitable counterweightf I4rmountedy thereon. The-girders I3'also1serve-asxsupports for' the longitudinal membersv I5.:y AzpluralityV4 of.4 v I-beams I6 are securedimposition'. and serve.V to.Y

support additional' longitudinali' members'. 5I.'

Thefmembers Iland 5I support a bridge cover ing 41 formed of plank or anyv other suitablel'ma'-4 terial-'and 'which may besurfaced by any suitable surfacing material 49 and provided with the curbs Il. The inner ends of the trunnions I2 are supported by girders I8 and extend therethrough. The extending portions form bearing shafts I9 for the connecting link 20 which will be later described.

Suitable transverse plates 22 are mounted between the girders I3 and serve as supports for andis provided.. with upstanding members 23. AA 5 shaft-24` having a segmental rack 25. i-lxed thereto is. rotatably. mountedin the members 23,. The upper edge 2Ivof the-rack 25 rests against and is securedto. a girder 26 which is securedbyany.l suitable means between the plates. 2.2i. The` otherv edge of the'rack` 25,. is supported bya beam 2f'Y which. is mounted between the girders, I8 and" which in turnv is supported andreinforced by the. I.beam 28-securedto'the framework in like manner.y The teeth-of. the rack 25Hare in meshwiththe teeth ofv a. piniongear 29 keyed.- on aV shaft.V 3I1n which.A isirotatably mounted. in a machinery` support formed by upright members 3I andthe beamsAI.

The. lower'endof the machinery support. is1piv-y oted onza sha-ft 32 supported. by bearing lugs 33; whichn area-secured invany suitable manner to. the main base I0. The main drive shaft 34 is rotat-` ably mountedzin: the supports 3I- and is driven by any suitable driving mea-nsindicated by nu- :neral 35tandr being mounted. on the base 36. A suitable gea-r. train. is providedf consisting, of' a; gear-3:1 mountedforr the shaft 34 meshing with afgear-38-on ashait39.` which operates a pinion gearf 40ff keyed to-the shaft 39. The gear 40- in rotating the shaft 39 causes the gear 4I torotate the shaft 30 and hence the main driving pinion-29.which'is iiXedthereon.V Avco,11pling:42v is. mounted on theshaft 3II`which1mayA be connected withV suitable standby'or emergency operating mechanism-.which may be actuatedby hand orfbyany'v other suitablel means.

A connecting link 20.isl rotatably mounted ony the-inner: endsri I9 fof the vtrunnions I2 and consists. ofA a,y fiat member 43' having' its'outer.I corners 44fwhich extendto each side of: the machinery support, rotatably mounted on thexendspof the. shaftv 30. This link Zit-serves to prevent theshaft 30fand+the^gears mounted thereon from being" displaced relative to the main trunnions'- I2v and' preventsrdisengagement of the main drive pinion 29 and the rack 25. The connecting link 20 extends through an opening in the rack 25 and is' provided with a cut-out portion 48 which allows The operation of the bridge is apparent since the movement of the leaf member from closed to open position, or vice versa, is accomplished by rotation of the main pinion gear 29 which in turn rotates the rack which is rigidly secured to the leaf member. The gear 29 is powered by any suitable driving means through a system of gearing as above described.

It will be readily apparent that the pivot 32 permits the machinery support to be moved so that the pinion 29 may be initially properly engaged with rack 25 regardless of small inaccuracies in the relative positioning of the machinery support bearings 36 and the main trunnions. Further, when the link 28 is in position it so connects the main trunnionsand the shaft that this proper engagement may always be maintained and yet the pivotal point 32 of "the machinery support may be varied. A

A study of the diagram in Figure 5 will clearly bring Iout this feature. Point A indicates Vthe main trunnion I2 of the bridge which serves as the axis or' iixed point of the machinery support triangle. B indicates the shaft 30 and aV the connecting link 2Q. Reference character C indi- Cates the pivotal point ofthe machinery support andY bv a fixed distance between the shafts 30 and 32 as determined by supports 3l andbeams 46. The'side c is variable and it may beclearly seen from this diagram that the side c may be varied without affecting in any way the adjustment of the operating parts, since the distances a and b' are always of predeterminedlengths.

The advantages derived from this particular construction results in a saving in that it is possible to erect the machinery in a way that it will not be out of alignment or adjustment, thereby making it possible to reduce the amount of Y skilled labor necessary in its construction and erection. The simplicity and compactness neces-g sarily reduces cost in materials and results in a` bridge that is easily maintained after being erected.

The particular type of bascule bridge shownin the drawings is a highway structure, a doubleV-V leaf being shown merely for the purposes of de scription. This showing is but typical of the many types to which the features may be applied.

It is not intended that the inventionbe limited Ato Vany particular form of bascule bridge or foundation.

It Awill be obvious to those skilled in the art thatvarious changes may be made in my device without departing from the spirit of the inven- ,tion and therefore I do not limit myself to what is shown inthe drawings and described in the specification, but only as indicated by the ap pended claims. For example; it is apparent that centerline of the trunnions. f Y Having thus fully describedv my said invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by .Letters Patent, is:

1. A bridge of the kind described comprising a f base, a bridge leaf pivotally mounted on "saidv base, a rack secured to said bridge leaf, a support pivotally mounted adjacent said rack and having a system of gears mounted therein in operative relation with said rack, means connected between said support and the pivotal axis of said leaf for maintaining them in operative position.

2. A bridge of the kind described comprising 'a base, a bridge leaf having trunnions secured thereto being pivotally mounted Yon said base, a rack secured to said bridge leaf a machineryr support pivotally mounted on said base adjacent said rack and having a system of gearing therein,

,a link connecting the upper portion of said machinery support and said trunnions whereby the .operative connection between said gearing and said rack is maintained upon change of position of the pivotal point of said machinery support.

,3. `rA, bridge of the kind described comprising a base having supports mounted thereon, a bridge leaf Ahavingftrunnions secured thereto for mounting saidleaf in said supports, a rack secured? to said bridge leaf, a machinery support pivotally mountedon the base adjacent said rack, a systemv or' 'gearing positioned therein, means for'driving said gearing anda'link memberY connecting and' maintaining said rack and gearing in operativev relationl whereupon shifting of the pivotal point v nions, a train of gears `mounted in fixed relation:v in said support, a rack secured to the leaf mem- K ber and adapted to engage and be driven by said rain of gears, `and means connecting the said machinery support and said inner ends of the trunnions for maintaining the rack and gears in operativev position upon shifting of the pivotal axis -of the machinery support.

5. In a bascule' bridge, a bridge leaf, a'rack secured to said bridge leaf, a gear train *operaf ativelyv connected to said rack for moving said bridge leaf, with said gear train secured to a support andebeing bodily movable to compensate Y for minor inaccuracies in positioning of itself or said rack, and means for holding said gear train in operative'relationto said rack irrespective of such compensating movement.

6. In a bridge ofthe kind described, abase.-v trunnions rotatably 1 supported on said base, aV

bridge leaf secured tosad trunnions, a drive pinion, means for rotating said pinion, a gear train having an operative connection with said pinion and said-trunnions for` transmitting rotary mo-V tion to the latter, said gear train being movable bodily as a unit to compensate for minor inaccuracies in positioning of itself f or said trunnions, i

and means vfor holding said gear train in opera--v tive relation to said trunnionsirrespective of such` 

